First Aid at work course and Cellox!!!!!

[HRG Tree Services]

I started my first aid at work course today and one of the first questions was what do you need to perform first aid it went round the class and all the usual stuff was said so I pipped up and said Cellox!!!

 

The Guy training says whats that so I explain and to my surprise he says I should not be using it as Im not trained to and they will not give any training for it!!!!!

 

I then pushed him explaining my job and the massive need for it and he was very negative saying its not HSE approved and that was the end of it!

 

The whole course is pretty average to be fair seems like its more for people that work in offices or factories not for something as high risk as Tree Surgery

 

Im happy to walk away from my training with my ticket to keep my utility customers happy but my point is that surely there must be a better course out there for us that can prepare us for that day (hopefully never!!) that something may go wrong and the chances are it might!!!!!

 

Also should I still use Cellox????

[Rupe]

Its up to you what you want to use, but its not HSE approved (as he stated) it should not be in your green first aid kit (you can carry it seperatly) and you should now have learned what to do in emergencies and celox is not required.

 

Also, paramedics do not use it, and there must be reason for that. Its something to do with make the wound harder to deal with in A&E, so it might be a life saver if your not goign to be able to get to A&E for a few days, but (I dont know where you are based) but first aid at work is supposed to keep someone stable until the ambulance crew arrive or you drive them to hospital which in most cases shoudl be no more than half an hour tops.

[felixthelogchopper]

I started my first aid at work course today and one of the first questions was what do you need to perform first aid it went round the class and all the usual stuff was said so I pipped up and said Cellox!!!

 

The Guy training says whats that so I explain and to my surprise he says I should not be using it as Im not trained to and they will not give any training for it!!!!!

 

I then pushed him explaining my job and the massive need for it and he was very negative saying its not HSE approved and that was the end of it!

 

The whole course is pretty average to be fair seems like its more for people that work in offices or factories not for something as high risk as Tree Surgery

 

Im happy to walk away from my training with my ticket to keep my utility customers happy but my point is that surely there must be a better course out there for us that can prepare us for that day (hopefully never!!) that something may go wrong and the chances are it might!!!!!

 

Also should I still use Cellox????

 

As long as you understand how and why to use it. A lot of the teams I work with carry it, so do I along with a CAT. If either need to be used ( *insert appropriate deity* forbid ) and end up making the important difference, then sue me.

[Rupe]

The whole course is pretty average to be fair seems like its more for people that work in offices or factories not for something as high risk as Tree Surgery

 

Its a "first aid at work course" thats for anyone at work, so if you change jobs tomorrow and go and work in an office you have the first aid course. Tree work is not higher risk, it has higher worse case scenario but the risk of choking to death on your lunch is the same in tree work as it is in an office.

[High Scale]

Sounds like the guy running the course has no idea what Celox is which maybe why he said not to use it? I have the same course coming up I will have to ask the same question.

[Ty Unnos]

I recently did a first aid course aimed specifically at forestry workers. Celox was discussed and we were told how to use it. It was suggested for our first aid kits. No mention of HSE approval.

 

From what I can remember you have to be very careful not to get it in your eyes as it can cause damage. I think they said you could get a bandage with celox already in it?

[Rupe]

Sounds like the guy running the course has no idea what Celox is which maybe why he said not to use it? I have the same course coming up I will have to ask the same question.

 

It is not on the sylabus for FAW courses, simple as that.

[Burytreeman]

As i understand it cellox dressings are issued to the british army in afghanistan for wound closure. Accepting that there may be some validity in that it makes things more tricky for A&E surely the choice to use it, and put it in their own first aid kit, rests with the chainsaw user. Personally i would rather have one inn our kit and know when someone, hopefully never, needs to go for the kit its there ready to use. Maybe there is a market for a small pouch with either a dresing or cellox granules in it that couls be carried personally. I myself would rather the "First aider" administered what was considered the best solution to my difficulty. Maybe others will differ!

[High Scale]

Triffic.

[Rupe]

As i understand it cellox dressings are issued to the british army in afghanistan for wound closure. Accepting that there may be some validity in that it makes things more tricky for A&E surely the choice to use it, and put it in their own first aid kit, rests with the chainsaw user. Personally i would rather have one inn our kit and know when someone, hopefully never, needs to go for the kit its there ready to use. Maybe there is a market for a small pouch with either a dresing or cellox granules in it that couls be carried personally. I myself would rather the "First aider" administered what was considered the best solution to my difficulty. Maybe others will differ!

 

There is absolutly nothing wrong with having celox and using it or anything else that takes your fancy but the whole point of the HSE course is to standardise your first aid knowledge with everyone else. Your green first aid kit should not contain anything extra but you can have extra stuff with you on your person if you want, of course you can.

 

And you can have in house training or discussions on what is suitable for each person. For years my first aid kit on my harness contained Golden virginia and rizzlas!!